When an audience member asked McCullough to list “three books everyone should read,” the author hesitated. “It’s an impossible question.”
After a moment of deliberation, he declared Michael Shaara’s Gettysburg story “The Killer Angels,” “a good biography of George Washington” (perhaps Ron Chernow’s “Washington: A Life" or “His Excellency: George Washington” by Joseph Ellis would fit the bill), and “Tender Is The Night” by F. Scott Fitzgerald as his impromptu top three.
The books reflect “important people and times to know about,” said the author. Of course, he added, everyone should read his books too.
